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Tips for Teaching Students Who Don’t Want to Dance

Picture this: You’re starting a new dance class with your students, and you’re so excited! You know that dance education can have a powerful positive impact on your students’ well-being. Plus, it’s FUN! You tell your class, “Today, we’re going to learn Salsa dance!” and suddenly, their reaction is…less than thrilled. 

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Whether they’re nervous about trying something new, embarrassed to dance in front of peers, or simply having a bad day, it’s normal for some of your students to be resistant to the idea of dancing in school. 

If you have students who are resistant to dance, here are suggestions from the dance teacher and founder behind Crelata – she’s been teaching dance in schools since 2010 – that’s over 10 years!

Before You Start

Preparing your class to learn dance is essential. A strong foundation supports a successful lesson. Before you start physically dancing, have an introductory conversation with your class.

Here are some introduction questions you can discuss with your students:

  • What is dance?
  • Do you have any experience with dance? 
  • How do you feel about dancing?
  • Why do people dance?
  • When and where have you seen people dancing?
  • Why is it important to learn dance?
  • Why are we dancing in school? 

Your students’ answers to these questions will give you direct insight into their current feelings about dance. Meet them where they are and acknowledge that their feelings are valid. Be in tune to any preconceived notions that dancing is only for certain gender identities. Every culture is different and it is important to discuss and air concerns upfront. From there, guide the discussion to help them understand why learning dance is important.

For example:

  • Dance is a part of every culture in the world 
  • Dance is part of life: weddings, celebrations, rituals, school dances, travel, and more
  • Learning dance improves coordination, fitness, creativity, and self-expression

Helping your students understand why they are learning dance will put them in the right mindset to try their best and have a positive attitude. 

Trying New Things can be Awkward

It’s important to acknowledge and validate your students’ feelings. On the surface, they might seem to have a bad attitude, but try to look beyond the surface level. Students are often simply nervous about trying something new!

Share with your class that trying new things like dance can be awkward and even scary. It’s normal to feel apprehensive about going out of your comfort zone. You can ask students to share about a time when they tried something new. Whether it’s trying a new food or going on a rollercoaster for the first time, trying new things can be super rewarding!

Make sure your students know that learning dance isn’t about being the best. Dance class is a judgment-free zone where everyone works to the best of their abilities. Laughing at others is never tolerated. Instead, your students will learn to give their peers constructive feedback. 

Crelata’s dance lessons include a student intro video that tells students what to expect. Teachers can play it for their class before dancing to help students get excited about trying something new!

The Difference Between Adjusting and Resisting

If your students are shy in the beginning, don’t give up hope! It’s important to recognize the difference between students adjusting to the idea of dance class, and students who are refusing to dance. 

In the beginning, give your students space as they open up and become more comfortable. It’s a good idea to start with very basic activities like movement games. Games can help your students get comfortable moving in class and listening to instructions. 

Some of our favorite movement games are:

  • Mirroring – Face a partner and move as though you are the mirror image of one another. One partner starts as the leader and the other partner follows. It should be impossible to tell who is the leader. Switch roles. For a challenge, partners can trade off being the leader and follower without talking.
  • Follow the leader – Pick a leader and have them move in one spot or travel around the room. A partner, small group, or the whole class follows whatever they do. This can be done in a circle, spaced out lines with everyone facing the same direction, a clump, or a train-like line with one person standing behind the next. Change leaders.
  • Reverse limbo – (This is an absolute favorite game of Crelata’s founder’s middle school students!) Instead of going under the limbo stick, try going over it! Start the limbo stick on the floor and after everyone has gone over it once, raise it a few inches. Anyone who touches the stick when going over it is out. See how high the limbo stick can go and still have kids be able to jump over it. Sometimes students need a big running start so make sure you have ample space and people you really trust to hold the limbo stick. If you think using a stick will be too dangerous you could use a rope, yarn, or elastic. That way if a student trips while jumping over, the holders of the “stick” can let go and the jumper won’t get hurt.  We recommend playing this on top of gymnastics mats and with bare feet or sneakers – NO socks because it’s too slippery.

Start with easy, low-pressure activities to introduce movement and dance concepts to your students. This will make it easy to transition to structured dance lessons.

If you still have a student who doesn’t adjust and refuses to participate, here are some ways to work with them.

Tips for the Toughest Situations 

When you’ve set your class up for success with an introductory discussion, played some movement games, and gotten almost everyone feeling comfortable, it can be frustrating to have one student still refusing to participate. 

Follow these steps to address the toughest situations, seeking to understand the student’s perspective.

  1. Speak to the student one-on-one. Ask them why they aren’t participating. (Never call out a student in front of the whole class.)
    • Maybe they are shy. You can put them in the back of the room where they feel more comfortable.
    • Maybe they have religious reasons for not dancing. You can call their guardians to confirm and come up with an alternate plan.
    • Maybe they forgot to put on deodorant this morning. You can keep some travel-size deodorant on hand for these situations.
    • If students remove shoes for the class, maybe they have holey or mismatched socks. You can lend them clean socks. 
    • Maybe they just aren’t feeling well. You can let them observe today’s class.
  2. As long as the student isn’t causing disruptions or playing on their devices, let the student observe. Over time, they might get more comfortable with dance class. Sometimes their peers will pressure them into joining – thank you positive peer pressure!
  3. If the student continues to not participate in dancing, give them another way to engage with the material.
    • Assign the student to be the class scribe. Have them take notes on the lesson: concepts, vocabulary, steps, corrections, choreography, etc.
    • Have the student assist with pausing and unpausing the video to allow time for peer feedback during the dance lesson.
    • Give the student a research project on the dance style. They can complete this project instead of dancing and present their findings to the class. 
  4. If the student is behaving in an unsafe manner (running around the room, throwing things, touching others, etc.) the student needs to be removed from the dance environment or given an activity to do from the safety of a seat. 
  5. As a last resort, call the student’s guardians and speak with them about the student’s lack of participation in dance class. 

Although it can be difficult, it’s a critical part of a teacher’s job to ensure all students have the opportunity to learn. This means dealing with problematic behaviors while keeping the rest of the class on track. 

Crelata Helps Teachers Help Students

Crelata is an online dance platform built with the beginner non-dance student in mind. Lessons are carefully paced so students of all ages and abilities can keep up. Each lesson has learning goals and uses best practices in dance education and video design to teach students the required concepts. 

Crelata’s dance lessons use relatable peer models in the cast for motivation and encouragement. Our on-demand video lessons are fun and engaging, and they don’t move too quickly and leave your students in the dust. Give Crelata a try, and watch your students step out of their comfort zones and grow!

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Should Dance Be Taught In School?

Have you heard these questions before? 

“What’s the point of teaching dance in schools?” 

“Shouldn’t kids be focused on reading and math?” 

“Dance is just for fun, why should it be a class?” 

“Couldn’t that time be better used for academic subjects?” 

“Should dance even be taught in school?!”

We’re here to set the record straight! In case you haven’t already guessed, the answer is: YES! Dance should be taught in school! Not only is dance an opportunity for students to have fun through movement, but it has a real and measurable educational impact. At Crelata, we believe dance education is for everyone, and the best way to bring dance to every child is through schools.

Get Dance In Your School

Why Should Dance be Taught in Schools?

Movement is an essential part of educating the whole person

There are many different aspects to education. From academic learning to hands-on experience, a well-rounded education should nurture students’ critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and creativity. Movement is an essential part of a holistic education. 

Through movement education, students learn on a deeper level. Beyond theoretical knowledge, movement education allows students to embody lessons and concepts, giving them long-lasting learning they will remember after the test is over. Physical learning doesn’t happen quickly – and that’s exactly why it’s so valuable. Students learn perseverance as they try, fail, and try again. As they engage different senses, strong connections and memories are formed. The resulting learning is embodied within them.

Movement education also helps growing children improve their coordination and provides physical exercise. Without movement education, like dance class, students may struggle to develop the physical skills needed to be comfortable and confident in their bodies. Traditional physical education classes meet some of the movement education needs of students, but not all. Sports-focused physical education classes have a strong emphasis on goal attainment and competition. There is little room for creativity when you want to be the fastest or strongest! 

Creative expression is where dance education shines. First, students learn foundational concepts like the elements of dance: body, action, space, time, and energy. Then, they use these building blocks to improvise, develop movement sequences, and create their own unique choreography. Physical creativity empowers students to express themselves nonverbally. Self-expression is critical to healthy emotional development, and dance is a perfect outlet.


What do students learn in dance?

Dance teaches students in different ways than any other subject. 

  1. Self-confidence: Dance teaches students to be self-confident in their bodies. With appropriate lesson structures, students can go from absolutely zero knowledge of dance to understanding and embodying a specific style of dance. Now that’s a confidence booster!
  2. Cultural traditions: Students of all backgrounds should not only learn about diverse cultural traditions, but they should experience and embody them. For example, students may have a lesson about how Puerto Rico became a US Territory. To go further and embody the experience of Puerto Ricans, students can learn how to dance Salsa. Embodying cultural traditions helps students make meaningful connections that will broaden their scope of the world.
  3. The joy of movement: Dance is a uniquely joyful art form. Moving to music is fun, whether you’re practicing in class, performing in a show, or doing the YMCA at a wedding. As students overcome challenges, they experience the pleasure of improving their skills. Students should have joyful movement experiences every day! You’ll know if your students are having fun because they’ll smile and use the word “fun” in every sentence when you ask them “why” questions afterward!
  4. Teamwork: Students learn teamwork by dancing with their peers. They practice safe personal space, dancing in unison by going in the correct direction in time without crashing into one another, taking turns dancing and giving positive peer feedback, collaborating to create choreography, and sometimes performing! Teamwork in dance helps students get along with others and learn to appreciate everyone’s contribution to the whole.
  5. Self-care: Students learn to care for themselves and others by making mistakes, trying again, and giving constructive feedback. Dance helps students realize that how they feel on the inside can be expressed on the outside through movement and that words are not always needed. Dance teaches students to listen to and take care of their bodies; after all, you only get one body!
  6. Acceptance of different perspectives: Students practice acceptance by watching their peers demonstrate their creativity. Every student makes unique creative choices, exposing everyone to the beauty of diverse perspectives.
  7. Creation of new work: Dance class offers a unique opportunity for students to create something entirely new through choreography. Each dance lesson equips students with new building blocks that they can incorporate into their own personal or group choreography. In arts classes like music and theater, students often read and perform existing works. Dance provides students the creative license to make something completely new and entirely their own.

At Crelata, we’re fanatical that dance is for everyone. With our on-demand dance class solution for schools, we provide strategies for adapting our video lessons for diverse learners and include closed captions and ASL interpretation.

Creativity is problem-solving

When you hear “creativity” you might think about visual arts like painting, drawing, or sculpting. Maybe you think of a friend who is super crafty! These are great examples of creativity, but the core of creativity is using your imagination to solve problems. 

When faced with a problem, old ways of thinking aren’t going to yield new solutions. Creativity means thinking outside the box to come up with something new, something better, or something different. 

Dance teaches students creativity by not just thinking of new solutions, but by doing them! Dancers take action. They physicalize. They do. By improvising, students learn to make their own choices and not just do what they’re told. It means trying new things, even if you’re scared, because the process and outcome can be amazing!

What’s the Difference Between Studio Dance and Dance in Schools?

It’s time for us to get something off our chest. While studio dance can be a life-changing experience and has an important role in the dance education world, it’s not the best way to reach all students with meaningful dance education. Studio dance classes have obvious barriers to access such as cost, location, and time, along with varying quality of instruction and student experience. That’s why, at Crelata, we’re adamant that dance belongs in schools, including, but not limited to, public, private, charter, and home schools. 

What is studio dance?

Studio dance classes traditionally include dance styles such as Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Ballroom, etc. Classes are taken outside of the school day, have their own tuition, and can vary in quality. Some studios are connected to dance companies and/or have professional-level training programs and some allow teenagers to teach classes! There are no set standards that all studios must adhere to so each studio will provide a completely different educational experience. Parents should do extensive research prior to enrolling their child at a dance studio. The goal of studio dance is individual proficiency in the given dance style, demonstrated in competitions or recitals. Studio dance is a great option for students with an existing interest in dance whose families have the means to enroll them. Studio dance classes instill discipline, teamwork, and perseverance.

Teaching dance in schools makes dance more accessible! 

Dance classes in schools have an entirely different focus than studio dance classes. Instead of a focus on individual proficiency in one selected dance style, the general focus is on a holistic educational and cultural experience. Dance classes in schools can incorporate dance styles from all over the world. Students learn the history, culture, and social aspects of different dance styles while creating, performing, responding, and connecting. Dance classes can and should be incorporated with history and social studies to provide integrated educational experiences. 

Classes can be taken during the school day or during after-school programs, are accessible to everyone, and are taught by certified dance educators or teaching artists affiliated with highly reputable dance companies (where extensive training is provided). Performances and recitals can absolutely be incorporated, but they are not required. The experience and process of learning dance is celebrated in schools, not just the end result.

Teaching dance in schools also removes accessibility barriers that prevent students from experiencing the benefits of dance education. In most cases, children do not choose where they go to school and what opportunities they have access to. When dance classes are offered as a part of the standard curriculum, all students can participate. Being “forced” to take a mandatory dance class just might spark a lifelong appreciation of movement and inspire new self-confidence!

Everyone can enjoy the benefits of dance in school. 

How to Get Dance in Schools

We hope you understand and agree that dance should absolutely be taught in schools! We built Crelata with the mission of making dance education more accessible through the use of technology. Our on-demand dance classes for kids are:

  • Made for use in schools, whether that’s public, private, charter, home school, or anywhere else students are taught
  • Created by dance education experts
  • Filmed strategically for ease of comprehension
  • Effortless to implement – no dance experience required!
  • 100% ad-free 
  • Accessible with closed captioning in English & Spanish plus ASL interpretation

Bring dance to your students with a Crelata subscription! Learn more about our plans for teachers, schools, and districts.

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How to Use Crelata Dance Lessons for Students

Looking for ways to incorporate dance lessons with your students? Whether you’re a dance teacher, classroom teacher, gym teacher, substitute teacher, parent, or any type of educator, we’ll share ways for YOU to add our online dance lessons to your teaching plans!

Before we dive in, make sure to get access to Crelata’s freebie bundle with access to two FULL free on-demand dance lessons! Crelata online dance lessons are designed by dance education experts and leverage the best teaching methodologies to keep kids of all ages engaged and learning.

FREE VIDEO DANCE LESSONS

There are so many ways educators can use online dance lessons with their students. Let’s jump in!

How to Use Crelata’s Online Dance Lessons

Step 1: Choose the right online dance platform

Choose an online dance platform that puts the needs of your students first. The best online dance tool will have the following features:

  • Designed by dance education experts for kids: Do your research to make sure the platform you select is created and taught by dance educators and experts and designed for use by students. Dance lessons for children in schools are much different than dance lessons for studio dancers and adults. 
  • Filmed strategically for ease of comprehension: A professionally filmed dance lesson will be easy for students to follow. High-quality video and audio keep students focused and make it feel like a guest artist is in the classroom!
  • Embedded assessments and checks for understanding: Each dance lesson should be treated like a classroom lesson. It should have learning goals, check in with students as they learn, and assess the learning outcomes at the end. 
  • Accessibility: Dance is for EVERYONE, and the online dance platform you choose should include closed captions in English and Spanish and ASL interpretation. 
  • Supplemental materials for teachers: Don’t let the learning stop when the video lesson ends. Look for a platform that provides lesson plans, discussion questions, extension activities, choreography tasks, and more!

Crelata’s on-demand dance classes have all these features, and more! A Crelata subscription gives you access to all of the Crelata on-demand arts education content. For the 2022-23 school year that includes the Salsa series, Popping (Hip-Hop) series, and Creative Career Chats.

Step 2: Watch the Teacher Intro video

Once you’re signed up for Crelata, sign in to your Crelata account at learn.crelata.com and watch the Teacher Intro video. This will give you all the information and preparation you need to use Crelata online dance classes!

Step 3: Play the Student Intro video

Now that you’re ready to use online dance lessons with your students, project your screen onto your classroom smartboard or TV screen. If it’s the first day, play the Student Intro video to get your students excited about dancing! The video will help your students know what to expect.

Step 4: Get dancing!

Choose the lesson you want and click play! That’s it! 

A few tips:

  • Make sure you do the lessons in sequential order. 
  • If you want to extend student learning, download the lesson plan and supplemental materials in advance to decide which extension activities you want to do. 

Step 5: Participate and assist

Join in with your class! Your students will love following your example. You can also walk around the room to assist and encourage students as needed. Or, if your class is on point, sit back and relax. They’re dancing!

Step 6: Extend learning

After the lesson, guide your class using the Crelata lesson plan: discussion questions, extension activities, choreography tasks, and more!

Crelata makes it easy to implement online dance lessons anywhere students are taught! Here are more tips for specific teaching environments. 

Using Online Dance Lessons in Dance Class

Dance educators can use online dance lessons to supplement their existing dance curriculum. While dance educators are experienced, certified professionals, no single educator is an expert in all dance styles. 

Try this: Ask your students what dance style they would most like to learn. What did they say? Salsa? Hip-Hop? Is it a dance style you know deeply enough to teach? If not, STOP! 

Dance educators should only teach styles in which they have sufficient background, experience, and expertise. Luckily, Crelata, your new favorite dance education resource, includes sequential online dance lessons taught by experts! Crelata’s online dance lessons are the perfect tool for dance educators to introduce a new dance style that kids will be excited to learn! 

If you’ve been disappointed attempting to use other online dance video lessons before, we understand. Crelata was founded by Ella Rosewood, a middle school dance teacher who found existing online dance tools too fast, too difficult, poor quality, and full of ads. Ella built Crelata to make access to high-quality dance education more equitable for ALL students!


Using Online Dance Lessons in Gym Class

Are you a gym teacher who is required to teach a dance unit? Fear not! You can take advantage of high-quality online dance lessons to meet your dance standard requirements!

Most gym teachers feel comfortable teaching lessons on team sports, individual sports, and strength and conditioning. While dance is an integral part of physical education, it is often outside the comfort zone of teachers.

Let Crelata’s online dance lessons take the pressure off! Each series focuses on a specific dance style and includes 5-6 sequential lessons, each 30-40 minutes long. Your students will love the opportunity to try something new and express their creativity with dance lessons in gym class!

Online Dance Lessons as a Special Activity in the Classroom

Dance education is cultural education, and online dance lessons can be used to build out classroom units on history, social studies, math, and literature. 

For example, students may have a lesson about life in America in the 1960s and 1970s. To go further and embody the experience of the time period, students can learn Popping (a style of Hip-Hop dance created during that time). This embodiment of what was going on in movement during a specific time period can be extremely enlightening and expand students’ understanding of culture.

Online dance lessons are a fun way to break up the school day. Kids aren’t meant to be sitting still for eight hours each day. Incorporating dance into the classroom provides students with a productive outlet for their energy. 

Using Online Dance Lessons After School

Does your school have an after-school activity program? After-school programs offer a safe and supportive environment for students. Participation in after-school programs has been shown to close achievement gaps for students from low-income families.

Give students in after-school programs the opportunity to learn dance! Online dance lessons from Crelata make it easy. 

Another way to use online dance lessons after school is to form a dance club! Arrange a location and time, and see just how many students are excited about learning dance. A dance club is a great alternative to a dance team, where tryouts and performances may deter shy students from participating. 

How Substitute Teachers can Use Online Dance Lessons

Whether you’re a regular teacher leaving plans for a substitute or a substitute coming into a classroom, online dance lessons are your one-way ticket to a happy (and learning!) class. 

When you’re short on time, don’t have a clear lesson plan, or need a quick replacement plan for the day, use dance to fill the gap. Crelata’s online dance lessons are appropriate for any age group, use the best teaching methodologies, and are super easy to implement. Just sign in and click play!

For substitute teachers in dance and gym classes, it’s important to ensure students are moving during the class! Playing an online dance lesson is a great way for substitute teachers to achieve this goal without having to know anything about dance.

Online Dance Lessons for Homeschoolers

Crelata dance classes are designed for use wherever students are taught – including homeschool! Dance education is a crucial part of holistic education, so homeschoolers should have it too. 

Homeschool may consist of a small pod of learners from the same community or siblings of different ages. Online dance lessons provide valuable cultural education by introducing new dance styles taught by experts. Crelata dance lessons use the best teaching methodologies, making the lessons accessible to students of any age. 

If your homeschooler is an individual learner, Crelata online dance lessons are a great way for them to have a fun and interactive learning experience. Each lesson contains a taking turns dancing and giving feedback section. We recommend that the educator participates in this section! You’ll get to see everything your child has learned in the lesson and celebrate their successes.

Sometimes homeschool students are not interested in learning the styles of dance taught at their local studio like Ballet, Tap, and Jazz. Or you simply may not want to leave the house after a long day. Crelata helps students learn dance styles from all over the world from the comfort of their home.

Give Crelata Online Dance Lessons a Try Where You Teach!

No matter what type of educator you are or what environment your students learn in, incorporating online dance lessons is easy and beneficial wtih Crelata! 

Take the Crelata challenge: Sign up for the Crelata freebie bundle and try the first lesson with your students. We promise they will love it and so will you!

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